EPE 317 Personal Development Project

We were warned repeatedly third year is the hardest year, and in typical Jasmine fashion I shrugged it off. Every day I added another title, event, volunteer opportunity, work shift; no surprise it was only eight days when I hit the wall. On the 9th day, I decided to do the personal development project in Physical Education.

It is clear I need to clear my plate and my mind. I created an outline of how I will find a balance. It includes declining opportunities, creating and maintaining a clear weekly schedule, eating healthy, practicing mindfulness, and incorporating time for personal and social time.

I need to slowly incorporate each change to ensure I am successful. I could not back out of my commitments made prior to beginning the project so I decided the best place to start was a phone cleanse. I set the screen to night to limit the effects it has; I also began shutting off all technology after 9:30 at the latest. It is impressive how big of an impact such small changes have.

One of the biggest culprits of wasted time and mental anguish is social media. I overuse every application; this leads to an inability to sleep, focus, or get any work done. In a fit of frustration- and joy, I deleted Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The first few days I was shocked at how often I went to open any of the applications; nearly every 5 minutes I was grabbing my phone to log in in order to check out of my surroundings.

I have successfully completed 10 days without the Facebook application; I do not miss it. I am enjoying my surroundings, conversations, and focus I have regained. Now, for the rest of my circle to follow suit, then maybe my conversations won’t be so one sided.